A copper lantern from the Futarasan Shrine in Nikko has the odd name of Bake-doro, the Ghost Lantern. And of course, there’s an interesting story about it…

It is said that in the old times, the samurai standing guard next to this lantern were often startled by the strange behavior of the flame. Many of them believed there was a ghost nearby, so they were… attacking the lantern! Some of them went so far that the lantern has visible scars…

Of course, the skeptics said that the cause was just a flying squirrel licking the lantern oil. But since neither the ghost (obviously…) nor the flying squirrel have been caught, it is not clear what created this story…

Travel Tip: This copper lantern is designated as an important cultural property and it is lit only once a year, during the Nikko Yayoi Festival, from April 13th to 17th.